Anybody NOT use waterless washes and detail sprays?

[cpa5oh]

I had my black paint looking pretty good in September, and then after that trying to keep the car clean with waterless washes and detail sprays I've put alot of very, very fine scratches in it.

The car sits outside but very far away from a road and it doesn't get driven everyday or in rain, so it rarely has more than some dust on it. Every couple of days, when I knew I was going to drive it the next day, I'd hit it with a waterless wash or detail spray. Then I'd wash it with ONR once a week or I'd go to the coin-op and rinse off as much dirt as I could and follow that with a waterless wash. And the result is that I've scratched it up alot (I don't think the ONR washes had anything to do with that.)

Clearly I could be more careful using the waterless washes/detail sprays however the purpose of me using these products is that they don't take the same amount of time as a full or rinseless wash (Mike mentioned a method where 12 towels are used to wipe down a car whereas I'm only using 2.)

I'm wondering if there are any guys on this board that believe you should only do full or rinseless washes and just leave it alone in between washes?

[toycar18]

I use both waterless and rinse-less on a black vehicle and I have had good luck.

What wash media are you using. What about microfiber? Are you using any pressure? What kind of vehicle is it? Do you know if paint is hard or soft?

If you use waterless wash make sure you use a good microfiber towel and change sides often. Make sure you use no pressure. You can also pretreat the whole vehicle prior to help loosen soil.

There are a fair amount of member on here that don't use waterless washes. They usually prefer the rinseless wash or won't use them all together.

[cpa5oh]

I've got a 2002 Camaro SS...from what I've read the clearcoat is 'hard.'

I've used a slew of different microfibers - my fiance thinks I'm collecting towels. Most of them are Chemical Guys towels given a local store near me sells Chemical Guys stuff. Some I have tried, though, are from other local sources (Walmart, Auto Zone, Advance Auto.) All of them seem plenty soft.

I'm thinking that the issue is me not being meticulous enough (might as well just do a full or rinseless wash, though) and doing this in colder weather where these products don't really like really cold surfaces (which is causing me to have to rub alot more to try to get all of the film buffed off.) But then I'm wondering if some have found that they can't keep from marring their surface with these products, either, and have decided to just do full and rinseless washes.

[Kristopher1129]

I'm personally not a fan of rinseless or waterless washes. The only time I use those methods is when water containment is an issue, or I'm simply touching up some areas where I may have made a mess by accident.

I do on occassion do an ONR wash inside if it's too cold out. But normally, I spray APC on trouble spots such as bottoms of doors, wheel wells, door jambs, pedals, etc. Take care of the rims. Then, I pre-rinse with a pressure washer. If the vehicle is real dirty, I foam the whole vehicle THEN pre-rinse.

Then I follow up with a dip bucket, and a soap bucket with grit guards. Wash using either a mitt or wash brush. I usually keep two brushes or mitts in the dip bucket. I find that switching brushes or mitts before you dip in the soap again lets the dirt settle to the bottom of the bucket past the grit guard. By the time you come around and switch again, the mitt or brush is less likely to transfer dirt. Then final rinse. I've never induced swirls, or had any issues.

If I'm washing...most likely the intent is to polish anyways, ha.

[SonOfOC]

Waterless and rinseless is heaven sent, but precautions need to be taken as with every product that goes on paint.

I still use 2 buckets, 4 GG, and 2 wash mitts when using waterless.
With rinseless, I noticed that MF towels make difference in not scratching the paint. You definitely need to use more towels with rinseless. 12 sounds about right. I use one towel per panel. It's lots of towels, but it helps me build bigger loads for washing.

Waterless and rinseless are gentle washes requiring gentle strokes/wipes. You will get scratches if you wipe back and forth like a conventional wash.

[glen e]

I say my detailing prayer every morning living in South Florida, having a huge driveway and lots of water pressure. And hence, my car finish is jewel like after 3 years - copious amounts of water used here...

[BobbyG]

I'm a firm believer in conventional washes and when it's warm I choose this method every time.

Waterless washes are a life saver for those of us that experience the riggers of sold weather and old man winter. While these products are very useful they also have their limitations.

How dirty is too dirty.

This is an article by Mike Phillips that puts into perspective of when and when not to use a rinseless wash.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/23602-how-dirty-too-dirty-safely-use-rinseless-wash.html

Wintertime here in New England we see some of the toughest weather on the planet.

Keeping a careful eye on how dirty my truck, I'll mix up a pail of hot water and a rinseless wash product. I'll pre-wet each panel allowing the solution to soften and dissolve surface contaminates then flood the panel with clean solution using a wool mitt.

Carefully wiping in one direction I clean each panel and the dirt and debris flow to the floor. Rinsing the mitt is very important to minimize scratching. Once the panel looks clean I rewash it a second time to ensure the panel is completely clean then dry with a Guzzler Microfiber Waffle towel.

[WRAPT C5Z06]

The only time I use a detail spray is when I'm drying my car after I wash it. I never use rinseless or waterless washes. Conventional wash or nothing.

[chevchenko]

I think there is a point where the car is not dirty enough for a whole wash, but still needs to get cleaned. I use some great MF from Poorboys and I really like the new product by MEG, which I bought here. I don't think I am introducing micro swirls, scratches, etc., but it is hard to tell because if we are all honest about it we must admit we battle against marks all the time, especially if your car is black or red.

[cpa5oh]

So for those that only do conventional and rinseless washes, I assume that between washes you just leave it be whether it is dusty or morning dew has mixed with the dust to make it look a little dirty (or you've got it in a garage all the time)...I'm never going to be able to do a full or rinseless wash more than once a week, and since it's black it looks like it has dust on it the day after I wash it (especially when dew ends up on the car overnight,) and maybe I'll just have to live with that. Or live with marring.

[WRAPT C5Z06]

and maybe I'll just have to live with that. Or live with marring.
I think you nailed it! Wash once a week(conventional) and try to deal with the dust.

[WRXINXS]

Never used waterless washes. I only use QD on freshly washed car or to clean off bird bombs. I just bought some DP Wash & Gloss and will be using that this winter in Delaware when it is simply too cold to wash. I will use two buckets w/grit guard and no pressure. Hopefully I don't mar up my black Subaru.

[umi000]

I think you're not using enough towels. For comparison, I use three towels just on the roof of my car - which is a small Toyota Yaris hatchback. The panel get fully misted with the waterless wash solution (not just one spray). Then I fold each towel into fours, then once more, for eight wiping sides per towel, since I only use the plush sides (have some double-plush towels on the way). Then I only use each side one time, and do two wipes per section - and the sections are kept pretty small. So my roof gets divided into twelve sections, like so:


http://i40.tinypic.com/2vb0cqv.gif

With two wipes per section, you need 24 sides, or three towels - and that's just the cleaning portion; I use a different towel to dry. So end of the day, the time spent is not that far off from a regular rinseless wash.

Having said that, I've never done a full waterless wash on my car - I usually do a weekly rinseless wash, and then just leave it alone for the rest of the week.

[littleblackcar]

I have a black car, too. PIA, but it looks so good after a wash & wax. The dealer is going to pay for a detail because of buff marks in the new paint. After the detail, I'll probably live with a little more dust and a little less washing (unless with 2-bucket method). The Junkman at Adam's NEVER uses waterless or rinseless.

[cpa5oh]

I think you nailed it! Wash once a week(conventional) and try to deal with the dust.

Sucks because it looks so good clean! And the marring I've got only shows up in the absolute worst lighting conditions (which is the lighting for inspection.) But it still shows up and I can't live with it :nomore: